Does anyone else want to rebuild the Glorious Achievements?
If so I have some ideas I'm wondering if others based on your M2TW Regular Experience would agree with (I will only go onto the Kingdoms Campaign later). If you guys agree with me and like or help me modify these ideas I will take this to the mod forum and see if it could be hammered into existence.
For now I will only go over the starting factions before you unlike them all for the purpose of saving time, since I sincerely don't know what everyone else thinks of the GA option.
1. France
France in the middle ages was a division heavy fuedal nation, the shape of modern France today was not assured in this time period. The Plantegenat Kings of England held much French land, and even claimed the throne for themselves at one point.
The ultimate French achievements of this period that could be represented in a campaign would be their eventual creation and unification of France, the building of Cathedrals and Huge Cathedrals, the Zeal for the Crusades which was reflected in French literature, art, and plays of the time period, and domination of the Papacy.
My ideas for the French Glorious achievements would therefore be points for each part of modern France captured and held, points for each Cathedral, points for every successful Crusade which ends in a French victory, points for each French Pope, and points for number of votes in the papal Curia.
Extra points could be awarded for the amount of florins you have, the size of your army, and each Master Guild you have.
Additionally a truely great King does not put up with Brigands, you will gain more points from making sure your lands are free of them, then in a foreign conquest in Novgorod. Tolerating a Brigand Army for enough turns will cost you Glorious Achievement points. Afterall Brigands where one of the great terrors of Medieval France, if you allow it in your France you are much less glorious :idea2:
Losing favor with the Papacy will reduce your glorious achievements points because no French King enjoyed excommunication, but because Philip the Fair killed a Pope killing a pope will give you one? :help:
Points could and will be lost for losing parts of modern France you have taken, or for being so desperate for money that you pillage abbeys and cathedrals. Despoiling the defenseless, and losing were plagues that French Royalty very frequently handed out, doing it makes you more realistic then glorious :idea2:
While this seems easy, unless you feel like zerging all over the world and having the Pope's hatred (which could cost you points and so the game) you will find a lot of hostility once you have modern France, you will have to Crusade, and get eaten up by Mongols and Timurids, and note you don't get points just for conquests.
2. Spain
The world of medieval Spain in this period was not the absolute hopelessness of the Dark Ages, but at the same time it was not a place with a garunteed future. The Almohads to the south where complete fanatics, who famously after turning on Jews and Christians exiled much of the native muslim leadership and posted "true muslims" in their place. Moors threatened to overun the Spanish, and they had other more mundane problems then fighting against a foe who's religion they didn't share. The threat of the French was serious thanks to Spanish weakness, and the borders between Spain and Portugal where not written in stone. Despite this the Spanish created an empire, and did some horrible things to, and it is reflected in their glorious achievements.
Spanish Glorious Achievement Points would if I do this come from all conquests in North Africa, modern Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sicily, the destruction of the faction Portugal, destroying the Moorish faction, and from every marriage Alliance, and finally from having 100% catholic populations(reflecting the expulsion), and from Heroic Victories that capture enemy royalty (The Spanish had many of those).
Now Spain won't need the Papacy for Glorious Achievement points, Spain didn't have enough problems with the Papacy to justify putting it's interaction with the pope as part of it's victory conditions, although preventing other peoples GA could be very useful.
GA points are also awarded based on Florins, and Army Size.
Brigands will never cost the Spanish GA points, while they did plague Spain like everyone else, no Spanish King was unable to leave Castille because he didn't have controll outside of his capital.
3. England
The English spent the Middle Ages somewhat different then continental Europe. defeating the Vikings at sea meant no need to develop a reliance on cavalry to keep up with them. The English had just a little too much time on their hands, their civil wars made sure the way was paved for the post medieval times, and they used their extra time to conquer Wales, and invade Ireland and Scotland with a varrying degree of success in both places depending on which Monarch and year it was. As if Scotland, Ireland, and Wales wasn't enough the English also saw fit to take over half of France, and claim the throne when the Kings of France proved too pathetic to ever hope they could rule a kingdom. They also had chivalry that didn't pig headedly consider money making bad and worked well with merchants instead of despising them. Finally the Third Crusade established Englands romantic stories related to Richard the Lionheart. This will all be reflected in the GA.
To gain points England must conquer Wales (you do that anyway), adopting the Welsh Longbow was an essential part of Englands victories, so Wales must fall to you.
England also must have York, if you can't even hold England you did not achieve much glory right?:help:
To gain extra points England needs to conquer as much of France as possible. Your claim to be King of England and France must be enforced, being laughed at by a pathetic Valois who's greatest accomplishment is being born is not glorious, make the House of Valois Cry, start and win the Hundred Years War! You gain points for every section of France conquered for it's true King.:yes:
You also will get points for the conquest of Ireland, for the Scottish Wars, and eliminating Scotland. The English didn't take down Scotland, bit they did try and you have to also. But beware, don't be Edward and have your achievements be temporary, because losing Scottish Land costs you points.
Finally you get a point from sending a King on a Crusade and winning, but you only get one chance, your not French, you have better things to do then worry about the Eucharist.
Additionally you get extra points for Florins, and size of your army like everyone else. You will also like the French need to destroy brigands, gaining points for doing so and losing them for being tolerant of them too long. You will also lose GA points for every section of England or France, or Wales you lose.
4. Holy Roman Empire
The head of Christendom saw his power fade to nothing during this time period. Germany saw many things, but it did not see unification in the Middle Ages, and was a collection of quareling states by the end. It still waged it's wars though, and that will be what you must do. Brute force was how Frederick Barbarossa negotiated, so why should you do anything differently?
You will have the easiest time of all. Venice, Milan, Genoa, Norman Sicily, and the Papacy all contested your authority, Denmark was liable to not see things your way, and Poland for whatever reason didn't feel like donating it's lands to the Tuetonic Knights the nerve!
As the Holy Roman Emperor you must rebuild the Empire, it was never meant to be all German, and you must retake Charlemagnes Legacy.
You will gain points for taking over modern Italy, Poland, Lithuania, the non Scandanavian Baltic, being at peace or in Alliance with Denmark, and showing those Burgundians who dare chose which throne they bow to who's boss! Long story short take Burgundy, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, while keeping Germany.
You also gain points from Florins, and Army Size, and for a Master Tuetonic Order Guild, you need some justification for attacking Eastern Europe where Charlemagne didn't rule don't you?
While it might seem easy every place you lose costs you points so beware.
5. Milan
For most of this time period I don't know. I'm sorry but I still don't get why Milan instead of Genoa is in, I could give what I would have Genoa do, but I know enough about Milan to know it's interests and Genoa's interests where different. Perhaps they will just have identical goals to Venice?
6. Venice
This most Serene Republic has at it's ideal letting people seek riches, and nobody seeks it better then the Dodge. Venice used this time period coming up with both noble business practices, and cheap tricks. It's ambition was trade, and it created a sea empire to do it with. It was also both friend and foe of the Pope, and at the end a failed candidate for uniting Italy under one banner, a feature all Italian States shared in common. Well it also understood that the Turks destroying their business rivals, and weakening them enough to make their lands stealable was not a bad thing, and that at the same time helping Crusaders set up shop in places that did not love them was also benificial. This will be reflected in it's GA.
Most importantly money. You must be very wealthy, you lose profit? Except during the Great Mortality you will lose points to. You go up finnancially? Your points proportionally go up. Every turn you are wealthiest you get points.
Remember this is Venice, not France, coin mattered more then a piece of land that was worhless except in name.
To demonstrate it's love of Crusaders creating business opportunity Venice gains points from joining them, and fighting in them, although to reflect the fact that Italians didn't set up the Crusader States it doesn't have to take the city.
Venice gains points from siezing Constantinople, the Fourth Crusade was an essential ingredient to Venetian Imperialism, and Venetians where proud of Enrico Dandola for a long time.
Taking any part of modern Greece, or Rhodes, or Cypruse also will be a big boost to your points. Remember the Greeks are good at this to, you must outdo them, even if it is because they just happen to have a sword put through their heads.
You gain Glorious Achievements for somehow being considered reliable or better diplomatically while doing this.
You gain points for all trade agreements.
You gain points for all Alliances, including with the Turks.
You also will gain points for Venetian Popes, and every vote Venice has on the Papal Curia.
Being excommunicated costs you points. While excommunicated many will not accept your ships or your trade, or will back out of their end of the deals that involve giving you gold if you get excommunicated.
You gain points for building Saint Marks
You gain points for having the greatest Navy, but if you spend too much on your fleet you may end up losing points for the amount of coin you so recklessly spent on ships.
You will lose points for trading rights and Alliances lost, and lose points for losing Medditeranian Islands, and of course for losing your lands in Italy or the Balkans.
While it may seem unfair, everyone gets points for Florins remember, you get a lot more points for them then anyone else, and you don't need to worry about expanding outside of Greece, and you get points for diplomacy.
I apologize for the length of the post.
